Cranachan ( gla, Crannachan ) is a traditional Scottish

dessert Dessert is a course (food), course that concludes a meal. The course consists of sweet foods, such as confections, and possibly a beverage such as dessert wine and liqueur. In some parts of the world, such as much of Greece and West Africa, and ...

. It was originally a celebration of harvest, made following the

raspberry The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with w ...

harvest in June. The dessert of cream and fresh seasonal raspberries is bolstered by Scottish oats and whisky. It has been called 'the uncontested king of Scottish desserts'. Cranachan owes its origins to

crowdie Crowdie is a type of soft, fresh cheese made from cows' milk, traditionally from Scotland. The cheese was traditionally made for domestic use by crofters and smallholders in the Scottish Highlands and Islands, using milk from the family cow. ...

, a popular breakfast in which crowdie cheese is combined with lightly toasted oatmeal, cream, and local honey. Raspberries, when in season, might be added to the breakfast. Cranachan is now served all year round, and typically on special occasions. A traditional way to serve cranachan is to bring dishes of each ingredient to the table so that each person can assemble their own dessert to taste.

Recipes

There are many versions of this traditional Scottish pudding. Earlier recipes used

cheese instead of, or in addition to cream and were sometimes called cream-crowdie. Other earlier recipes are more austere, omitting the whisky and treating the fruit as an optional extra. More modern recipes have swapped the crowdie cheese for a simple whipped cream. Modern recipes usually are made from a mixture of

double cream Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this proces ...

whisky Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden c ...

honey Honey is a sweet and viscous substance made by several bees, the best-known of which are honey bees. Honey is made and stored to nourish bee colonies. Bees produce honey by gathering and then refining the sugary secretions of plants (primar ...

and fresh

raspberries The raspberry is the edible fruit of a multitude of plant species in the genus ''Rubus'' of the rose family, most of which are in the subgenus '' Idaeobatus''. The name also applies to these plants themselves. Raspberries are perennial with w ...

, with toasted

oatmeal Oatmeal is a preparation of oats that have been de-husked, steamed, and flattened, or a coarse flour of hulled oat grains (groats) that have either been milled (ground) or steel-cut. Ground oats are also called white oats. Steel-cut oats are ...

soaked overnight in a little drop of whisky. Tall dessert glasses are often used to serve. Alternative versions of the recipe include orange cranachan, cranachan

trifle Trifle is a layered dessert of English origin. The usual ingredients are a thin layer of sponge fingers or sponge cake soaked in sherry or another fortified wine, a fruit element (fresh or jelly), custard and whipped cream layered in that o ...

, spiced rum, and shortbread round. For spiced rum cranachan the rum mixture is folded in with whipped cream and placed on top of the shortbread and then the raspberries are added. Whisky-soaked raisins can be used if raspberries are unavailable. Chocolate cranachan can be made with chopped toasted hazelnuts, light muscovado sugar and chocolate.

References

* ''The Scots Kitchen: Its Lore & Recipes'' by F. Marian McNeill, Blackie, 1929 {{Whisky Scottish cuisine Scotch whisky Scottish desserts Fruit dishes Raspberry

Recipes

See also

References